Just
by Lokaia
Summary: The Christa's crew learn some secrets aren't meant to be told...
1. Insert

Title:: Just  
  
Author:: Lokaia  
  
Summary:: The crew allows two new passengers onboard and learns that some secrets aren't meant to be told.  
  
Rating:: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer:: Non-SC characters and story plot are mine, show is Peter David, Bill Mumy, and Nickelodeon's.  
  
(A/N) Credit where credit is due, this vaguely resembles a wonderful story by Mari Soo, whose works can be found at Kestrel's Space Cases Site.  
  
----------------  
  
In space, there is a sector. In that sector, there is a star. Next to that star, there is a white circle. In that white circle, there is a ship. In that ship, there are two individuals, screaming like frightened children.  
  
Probably because that is what they are.  
  
---  
  
"Commander?"  
  
Seth Goddard turned to his navigator. "Yes, Radu?"  
  
The young Andromedan looked troubled as he reviewed his console. "There's a...a ship out there. Damaged. But there's no distress signal."  
  
Goddard frowned. "Screen on." In response to his words, the main wall of the Christa swirled to transparency to reveal a small starship. The ship's hull was covered in burns of varying degrees.  
  
"Should I open a communications channel, Commander?" Rosie asked, always eager to meet new people.  
  
No matter how dangerous it became afterwards.  
  
Goddard thought about that for a moment. "Rosie, open audio-only channel." At her signal, the commander began his speech. "Alien vessel, this is the Starship Christa. Commander Seth Goddard speaking. Are you in need of assistance? Christa out." He made a cutting motion at his throat and Rosie disconnected the channel.  
  
"What do we do if they answer, Commander?" Harlan wondered.  
  
Goddard hesitated before answering. "Depending on what their answer is, we either help them or leave them alone. Oh, and Mr. Band?" Goddard turned a stern gaze on his helmsman. "Remember: I'm the commander, not the cook."  
  
Harlan smiled sheepishly while Rosie giggled.  
  
---  
  
"They still haven't responded, Commander," Rosie reported.  
  
Radu frowned, meeting Goddard's gaze. "What if they're too hurt to answer?"  
  
"We can't take the risk of bringing them onboard without knowing anything about them, Radu," Goddard answered. "We'll just have to wait and--"  
  
"Ooh! Incoming message!" Rosie squealed delightedly.  
  
Goddard smiled at her actions. "Go ahead and play it, Rosie."  
  
A broken recording began to play. "Commander Go--ard, thank you fo--in need--my sister--dock--bay. Er, we--Ra--on--out."  
  
"Channel, Rosie." Rosie opened a link for the commander to speak. "Alien vessel, your message was damaged. We will open our docking bay. If you are in need of assistance, please enter and we will help you with our repairs. Christa out."  
  
"Should we meet them at the bay?" Harlan asked, already stepping down from helm.  
  
Goddard frowned at his impatience. "Harlan, you, Radu, and Suzee meet me down there. Don't do anything until I get there. Rosie, call Bova up here to help you monitor."  
  
The Mercurian nodded, somewhat disappointed, as her crewmates disappeared down the jumptube.  
  
---  
  
"This should be interesting," Suzee remarked, standing beside the door to the docking bay. "It's been getting dull around here."  
  
"You can say that again," Harlan muttered. "Ms. Davenport's been getting way too comfortable with that whole 'daily classes' thing again."  
  
Radu rolled his eyes. "What do you want her to do, Harlan? Freak out like she did when Rosie's new pet ate her sweater, and not leave her room for two weeks?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"They're in," Suzee announced, as Goddard walked up behind them all. "Depressurizing."  
  
"Are you all ready?" Goddard asked, taking the lead. One by one, the three teenagers nodded. Goddard smiled. "Good." Stepping forward, the door reacted to his presence and slid open.  
  
The ship looked worse up close. Not unfixable damage, but enough to keep them on the Christa for a while.  
  
"Oh, this'll be easy," Suzee muttered, beginning to circle the ship. She began muttering to herself as she looked over the hull. "That could be done in five minutes. Oh, I could so do it. Fine, then I'll bet you. I'll let you keep that shirt you stole from me..."  
  
"Why is it so much weirder when she talks to Cat than when Cat talked to her?" Harlan murmured. From the other two men, he received nothing but shrugs.  
  
The hatch to the ship before them slowly unlatched. It began to lower, then fell to the floor with a clang loud enough that Radu cried out in unexpected pain.  
  
"Damn! Sorry about that--it slipped..."  
  
From the doorway emerged a dark young man. He looked to be in his late teens and wore a cap over bright blue hair. His uniform of a t-shirt and pants were wrinkled and crumpled, but he looked able enough. He smiled brightly and gave an awkward wave. "Er... hi."  
  
Goddard stepped forward. "I'm Commander Goddard of the Starship Christa," he said, repeating his earlier message. He stuck out a hand. The boy met Goddard's gaze with a look of surprise before grinning again and seizing his hand. Shaking it vigorously, he said, "Thank you for your assistance, Commander. My sister and I appreciate it."  
  
"Your sister?"  
  
The boy's eyes went wide. "Shoot!" He yanked his hand from Goddard's grip and rushed to the doorway of his ship. "Lexi? You okay?"  
  
"Fine!" THe boy helped his sister from the ship, letting her lean on him. The girl was his same skin tone, her hair black in fat dredlocks that fell to her shoulders. She looked to be no more than fifteen. Stretching her neck, she winced and shrugged the arm of her brother off of her shoulders. "I'm fine, don't worry about it." She looked up and met the gaze of four of the Christa's crew.  
  
"H-hi..." Her eyes had suddenly grown wide and she was staring avidly at Harlan.  
  
The human grinned, sending a cocky glance to Radu and walked up to the girl. He offered his hand to her. "Hi, I'm Harlan Band. And you are?"  
  
The girl continued staring, and her brother took Harlan's hand instead, still grinning widely. "Oh, sorry, I should have said before--I'm Randy. Randy Banson. This is my sister, Lex."  
  
Goddard placed a hand on Harlan's shoulder, and faced the newcomers. "Now that the introductions are over, I can ask you: what are you two doing out here? You're both much too young to be out this far in unidentified space on your own!"  
  
"Er... yea," Randy said, scratching the back of his neck. "See, Lex and I, we were trying out this ship and--"  
  
"Commander!" Suzee's voice came from behind the ship. "You'd better come and look at this."  
  
Randy and Lex exchanged worried glances. Goddard narrowed his eyes. "Is there something you two need to tell us?"  
  
"Well, ah..." Lex struggled for words, giving her brother another glance. Randy's answer was to grin at Goddard again.  
  
Glaring at the two, Goddard made his way around the back of the ship to meet Suzee. "What is it?"  
  
"This." The Yensidian pointed to an emblem near the bottom of the ship. It was, unmistakably, the symbol of the UPP. 


	2. Subliminal

Title:: Just Author:: Lokaia Summary:: See previous chapter Rating:: See previous chapter (A/N) I meant this to be a very mysterious plotline, but reading over it again, if you haven't figured it out by now it's time to start worrying. ---  
  
"YOU JACKED A GOVERNMENT SHIP??"  
  
"Don't be ridiculous," Randy said, giving Harlan an incredulous look. "We didn't steal anything. It was given to us."  
  
Goddard glared at them. "Someone gave you a government ship?"  
  
"Sure," Randy answered as if it was the most natural thing in the galaxy. "But while I was piloting, this big circle popped up in front of us and before I could turn around--"  
  
"You went through a white circle?" Radu interrupted, surprised.  
  
Randy shrugged. "I guess. But going through it, our ship started to burn. Guess all that government money isn't going to technology after all."  
  
"So you just happened to show up here?" Goddard asked suspiciously. Something about this encounter wasn't adding up. Not only were there two lost children on the ship, but they seemed perfectly at ease in strange company.  
  
"It's not really a coincidence if you think about it," Lex said, speaking to the others for the first time. She had been staring at the crew and letting her brother do most of the speaking. "If we had shown up in the Andromedan sector," she nodded at Radu, "or Alpha 25, they'd be saying we just 'happened' to show up, too."  
  
Goddard saw Suzee smiling out of the corner of his eye. If they got on the Yensidian's good side, we're all doomed.  
  
"You don't seem to be very worried about getting home," Radu said quietly. Goddard was relieved. Someone else felt this situation was wrong.  
  
Randy laughed at that. "Well, there's not much we can do, is there? Besides fix the ship, that is, and then Lex and I will be out of your way."  
  
"Out of our way?" Harlan repeated incredulously. "Where are you going to go? Do you even know where you are?"  
  
Randy only grinned. "Don't worry about it. We'll find our way back." The young man continued before anyone could interrupt. "Anyway, I guess I should get started on the ship. I know Lexi hates this stuff. Could I ask a few of you to help me out?"  
  
Harlan opened his mouth to speak, and Goddard beat him to it. "We'd be glad to help you," he said, gesturing to himself, Radu, and Harlan. "Suzee, will you show Miss Banson to the team room? You can relieve Bova and Rosie from their posts if they get Thelma to take their places." If they were going to find out anything at all, the siblings would have to be broken up. Goddard felt he, Radu, and Harlan had a better chance of getting Randy to talk than Lex. All the girl seemed to do was stare at Harlan, which couldn't be helping the boy's ego. Suzee nodded and led the girl out through the docking bay.  
  
"Randy." Lex called back, almost nervously.  
  
"I know, Lex," he replied. He smiled reassuringly and winked at her. Lex nodded and followed Suzee from the room. Randy immediately turned to the remaining crew members. "So! Let's get started, huh?"  
  
As Harlan and Radu left to retrieve tools, Goddard turned a stern gaze on the young man. "I know you two are hiding something, Mr. Banson."  
  
Randy grinned brightly. "Commander, I'd be worried if you didn't."  
  
---  
  
"So where are you from?" Rosie asked the girl excitedly.  
  
Lex returned the Mercurian's bright smile, even laughing a bit. "Earth originally. Or at least, my father is. We actually live on a government ship."  
  
"Juvenile hall?" Bova asked.  
  
Lex laughed again. "No, no, no. Nothing like that! My mother's a politician. We moved to the base to be close to her-my father, Randy and I."  
  
"So that's why you had the government ship?" Ms. Davenport supplied with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Yep!" Lex grinned at her. "It's one of Mom's. Randy and I were just looking around with it. He has his license, and we had permission and everything. It just sort of. messed up."  
  
Suzee was silent for a moment, her eyes flickering towards the far wall. "Have you ever seen a white circle before?"  
  
"No," Lex answered, shaking her head. "I mean, I've heard of them, but I'd never been through one before. It would have been exciting if it wasn't so terrifying!"  
  
Rosie giggled. "That's what we all thought too! We've been through two circles."  
  
"I know," Lex agreed, giggling with the Mercurian. Catching Bova's confused gaze, she smiled. "I know what you mean," she clarified.  
  
Rosie struck up a conversation with the girl on the condition of the Sol System. Both Bova and Ms. Davenport's expressions seemed to voice every concern in Suzee's own head.  
  
Something is very wrong here.  
  
---  
  
"What sort of politician?" Goddard asked.  
  
"Governor," Randy replied, crouching down beside the commander. He examined the damage and frowned. "I am definitely not the person to be doing this."  
  
Harlan raised an eyebrow at the young man, handing Goddard a wrench. "You're flying a ship you don't even know how to repair? Without an engineer aboard with you?"  
  
Randy rolled his eyes good humorly. "Do you take an engineer with you every time you go for a joyride?"  
  
"We often don't have a choice," Radu put in. Randy laughed at that and Radu smiled slightly.  
  
"Governor of what?" Goddard continued amiably. So far the boy seemed well enough, but there was still something funny about the situation. Randy and his sister were far too comfortable.  
  
Randy paused and grinned at them all. "Saudi Arabia. My mother's the governor and representative at UPP meetings."  
  
Radu and Harlan nodded, accepting this. Goddard, however, was fully aware that Saudi Arabia's governor was Shashank Roy. The country's governor was Rishi Mayak. Neither politician was a woman.  
  
Goddard examined the interior space of the hull he was working on. Half of the wiring he recognized. The other half was completely foreign. True, it was possible that the UPP had developed new technology since they had been gone. But, as Bova once said, it could also be true that the crew was a highly advanced form of chocolate pudding. Anything was possible, but only a fraction of it was true.  
  
Besides, it had only been three years since they had been gone. This technology seemed far more advanced.  
  
"Mr. Banson," Goddard cut into the conversation with a smile. Randy didn't seem to mind, automatically turning to the man and matching his grin. "What's the date back home? I'm a little worried that Thelma's been inaccurate there."  
  
It only took a second. Randy's grin dropped and an expression of worry crossed his features. The the smile was back and he said, "October seventh, sir. Or it might be the eighth by now, I'm not sure."  
  
He left out the year. That was either highly suspicious or highly obvious. If the UPP had developed the technology and Randy and Lex had come from the time they were supposed to have come from, Randy would never have considered adding the year into his date.  
  
Then why had he looked worried? Had he conveniently left it out, knowing his answer wouldn't coincide with the one Goddard knew?  
  
Goddard smiled and thanked the boy, returning to the task at hand. There would be other opportunities to trap him, especially once they got into more difficult wiring. Randy was now having an avid discussion with Harlan on piloting maneuvers. That was fine. The more Randy trusted the crew, the more likely it was that he would continue talking to them-perhaps even slip up.  
  
Goddard reached behind him for a tool and found resistance. Glancing back, he found Radu holding lightly to the wrench, a strange look on his face. His eyes practically screamed his worries.  
  
He's hiding something!  
  
Of course, the Andromedan was able to sense it. Having Radu aboard the Christa was like having your own personal, and accurate, lie detector. And that settled it for Goddard. He nodded at Radu, expression warning the boy not to say anything. One thing was for sure.  
  
Randy Banson was lying.  
  
--- 


	3. Messages

Title:: Just  
  
Author:: Lokaia  
  
Summary:: See Chapter 1  
  
Rating:: See Chapter 1  
  
Disclaimer:: See Chapter 1  
  
(A/N) I hope this chapter will make a few things more clear.  
  
---  
  
"So I bet it gets dull around here with all the same people to talk to all the time," Randy remarked.  
  
Harlan shrugged, leaning back against the ship he was currently not- working on. "I don't know. At first I was scared out of my mind that I'd have to be around these people all the time. Especially." He stopped, eyes guiltily flashing towards Radu who was working on the far side of the ship.  
  
Randy just nodded. "Yeah, I get that. I have friends who are still bitter towards them, too. But, I mean, you've gotta get over it, you know? He's what? Like twelve? He didn't do anything to our soldiers."  
  
"He's fourteen," Harlan replied automatically, looking back at Randy. "And, no, he didn't but. that war, it. it means a lot to my family. It was hard to get over it, that's all."  
  
"Yeah." Randy played idly with the screwdriver Harlan had been working with. "My dad. he was pretty bitter about it, too. He didn't like to talk about it, though."  
  
Harlan cocked his head at the visitor. "He doesn't like Andromedans either?"  
  
Randy smiled, letting out an amused breath. "Oh, no, he liked 'em all right." Randy was grinning at some inside joke.  
  
Harlan decided to let that go. "You're using past tense," he noted.  
  
Watching Randy's face for a reaction, Harlan was rewarded with a look of hopelessness and loss that seemed so familiar. "Yeah." Randy said quietly.  
  
Harlan remembered that look. It was the same one that had been on his face when he had learned the news of his father. Setting a hand on Randy's shoulder, Harlan squeezed gently. "Yeah. Me, too." Randy glanced at him, surprised and Harlan offered a smile.  
  
Randy smiled slightly and looked away, dropping the wrench back into the tool box. "So what about you and the girl? Suzee?"  
  
Harlan cocked and eyebrow and grinned. "What *about* me and Suzee?"  
  
Randy mimicked his expression. "Guess that answers my question."  
  
"There's nothing there," Harlan replied, laughing. "It's kinda a distraction, I guess. When Suzee first came here I. I really *needed* a distraction. but now we just kind of tolerate each other. She's no more into me than I am to her."  
  
Randy smiled and shook his head. "I don't know. if it was me and I was stuck on a little ship, with such a tiny group of people, I'd have a thing for someone within a week."  
  
"Yeah." Harlan smiled slightly, studying his shoes. "Me, too."  
  
Randy gave him a questioning look. However, that question was never answered.  
  
"Mr. Banson?" Randy and Harlan glanced to the side of the ship to see Goddard standing with a stern look on his face. "I'm going to need a bit of an explanation here.."  
  
---  
  
"Honestly, Commander, this equipment comes standard with every UPP ship," Randy was saying to Goddard, a bemused look on his face. "I don't know why you don't recognize it. Maybe they've changed some things since you've been gone."  
  
Seth frowned and glanced back at the hole in the ship. Wires led to consoles he hadn't a hope of figuring out the use for. Even Suzee, who had been called back for her engineering expertise, had been stumped by them.  
  
"I'd say it was equipment like the Starlings have but. well, look here," Suzee had said, pointing to the very hole Goddard was staring in now. "This is what the *Christa* is equipped with for sub-sonic speed. But a ship this size shouldn't be physically able to handle that speed, so.." She turned a surprised, distressed face towards the commander. "I have no idea what it's for."  
  
Suzee's inability to answer a question about engineering had frightened Goddard enough to immediately question the visitor. But as Randy Banson stood before him, looking bemused and somewhat frightened, Goddard sighed. "Mr. Banson, we have only been gone for three years. This technology is *far* more advanced than anything that could have been developed in that time frame."  
  
The boy merely looked more confused. "I'm sorry, sir, I. I don't know what to say. I really don't know anything about engineering."  
  
Goddard glanced between his present crew. Harlan stood behind Randy, looking confused but not nearly as suspicious as the boy usually was. That either spoke well of Randy's character, or insulted Harlan's ability to read people tremendously.  
  
Radu and Suzee were standing beside Goddard. Suzee was extremely suspicious of anyone who had possession of an engineering system she didn't understand, and Radu merely looked concerned.  
  
Goddard made a decision then that he hoped was the right one.  
  
"Radu, Suzee? Search the ship."  
  
"Wait a second!" Randy exclaimed, stepping forward as Radu and Suzee moved to follow orders.  
  
That was exactly what Goddard had hoped would happen.  
  
He cocked his head at the boy before him. "Something to hide, Mr. Banson?"  
  
Randy stopped in mid-shout and stared at the man before him in surprise. Slowly and with a look of fearful apprehension on his face, he stepped back.  
  
As Radu and Suzee boarded the ship, Goddard regarded Randy with a stern glare. "Is there something you want to tell me now, before my crew finds it?"  
  
Randy glanced nervously between Goddard, Harlan, and the ship. "We. Lex, and I. we're not exactly from. *when* you think we are."  
  
Harlan's eyes grew wide, and Goddard sucked in a slow breath. Thinking you were right, and knowing you were right were two entirely different things. "All right," Goddard said slowly. "Then *when* are you from?"  
  
Randy chewed his cheek, avoiding Goddard's eyes. ".Soon enough that to tell you a lot would involve a paradox," he said finally.  
  
That got Goddard's attention. As well as Harlan's. "You know us," Harlan said , eyes wide. Randy turned to face him as Harlan spoke again. "That's why you're so comfortable with us-you *know* us. From the future."  
  
Randy spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I'm sorry, we couldn't tell you. We're already in a tight spot now because of--"  
  
"Commander?" Suzee emerged from the ship carrying a film, Radu following behind her. Both looked extremely shaken.  
  
"What's the matter?" Goddard asked, motioning them forward.  
  
Instead of answering, Suzee merely handed him the film. The first two people were easy to place-younger versions of Randy and Lex. Five, or perhaps six, years earlier. Lex could only be seen from her shoulders up, the film cutting off the rest of her short body, and Randy's waist barely made it into the picture. Behind them was an older man, arms around the two. All three had looks on their faces that showed utmost love and happiness.  
  
The man behind them was pale, with gray hair that Goddard knew had used to only exist in streaks.  
  
Goddard looked up at Randy sharply. The dark boy gave an apologetic smile.  
  
"Paradox."  
  
---  
  
"We already called Rosie and Bova," Suzee was saying as they led Randy to a jumptube. "They and Ms. Davenport have got Lex in the Command Post, waiting for us."  
  
"You know, you don't have to do this," Randy told them, fully cooperating though Radu was holding onto his arms. "If either Lex or I wanted to go, we could. I'm cooperating because I want to, and so is she."  
  
"You could break free from an Andromedan?" Harlan demanded, disbelief in his tone. Randy's apparent betrayal had annoyed and hurt him enough to be delivering most of the rude comments he usually did.  
  
Randy only smiled. "You'd be surprised what I can do, Harlan."  
  
With that unnerving statement, the four members of the crew and Randy leapt down the jumptubes.  
  
---  
  
"All right, what did you do?" Lex was standing before the jumptube with her hands on her hips, glaring at her brother.  
  
The boy shook his head. "I didn't do anything. They searched the ship."  
  
Lex's brow crinkled in confusion. "So?"  
  
"So you know how Mom likes to keep pictures of everyone in her ships?"  
  
Lex's dark face grew reasonably pale. "Damn."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What's this all about?" Ms. Davenport asked, interrupting their conversation. She fixed Goddard with a concerned gaze. "Suzee said these two were from. the future. You realize how ridiculous that sounds, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I do," Goddard told her, handing her the film. "But can you blame me?"  
  
Davenport glanced at it and gasped, nearly dropping it. "Why. Seth, it's *you*!"  
  
"An *old* you," Bova commented, peering over Davenport's shoulder. Randy shook his head, laughing quietly until Lex shoved an elbow into his ribs.  
  
"How could you let them on the ship?" she demanded.  
  
"Well, there wasn't much I *could* do when I was given the ultimatum of 'let them on the ship' or 'tell them everything I know'," her brother hissed at her.  
  
"It wasn't an ultimation, Mr. Banson," Goddard told him sternly. "You only got to pick the order of it. Now that you've let us on the ship, it's time to tell us everything you know. How did you get here?"  
  
Randy shook his head. "Uh-uh, that's not how it works. I can let you on the ship, you can look at all the films you want, but I'm not tempting a paradox."  
  
"So you can't tell us anything about our future selves?" Rosie asked, sunny tone replaced with disappointment.  
  
"No way," Randy told her. "What if it changed our future? Our lives?"  
  
There was silence for a moment before Lex spoke up. "Randy," she said quietly. "Would that be so bad?"  
  
Randy glanced at her sharply, surprised. "What?"  
  
The girl met her brother's gaze, hopefully. "Daddy."  
  
Randy's face set sternly. "No, Lex."  
  
"Randy, we could--"  
  
"*No*!"  
  
"You told me your father was dead," Harlan put in.  
  
Lex stared at him in shock, then turned to her brother. "You told *him* and you're lecturing *me* about paradox?"  
  
"I didn't tell him anything," Randy snapped. "He's assuming that our father is dead, and I didn't try to change his mind. His guess is as good as ours!"  
  
"Your father. left?" Radu asked carefully.  
  
"He didn't *leave*," Lex snapped angrily. "He. he didn't want to go, but his mission--"  
  
"*Lexi*!" Randy practically growled his sister's name.  
  
She turned back to him, hopeful eyes imploring him to agree with her. "Randy, if we could warn them now, they could stop him from leaving!"  
  
"They could also change the future *so much*, we wouldn't even be born!" her brother snapped.  
  
"How could we do that?" Harlan demanded.  
  
Randy sighed, looking at the crew as if he was just now noticing them. "Look, just. just know that this crew affected mine and Lex's birth."  
  
Lex was staring at Harlan with a mixture of sorrow and longing. "You especially," she said quietly.  
  
"*Alexis*!" Randy's outburst was now accompanied by grabbing his sister's arm hard enough for her to wince. "You're going to--"  
  
"Oh!" The crew and visitors turned to stare at Rosie. The Mercurian had a gloved hand covering her mouth, her expression one of surprise and shock.  
  
"Oh?" Radu repeated, concerned.  
  
"Oh!" Rosie said again, dropping her hand. "I get it now! *Banson*!"  
  
"What about Banson," Goddard asked her.  
  
"*Dammit*, Lexi!" Randy exclaimed, glaring at his sister. "You just had to add that in, didn't you? Couldn't have picked *Johnson* or something!"  
  
"Couldn't add.." Ms. Davenport glared at the two. "You're saying you gave us fake names?"  
  
"Oh, Ms. Davenport, don't you see?" Rosie rushed, excited. "They *had* to because of the paradox!"  
  
"*What* paradox?" Suzee demanded, annoyed at being left out.  
  
Randy growled his frustration, glaring at his sister. "The paradox we've *already caused*," he grumbled. He sighed and faced the crew. "I really thought you all would have figured it out by now."  
  
"Figured *what* out?" Harlan snapped.  
  
Randy shook his head and turned to Rosie. "May I borrow your compupad?" Taking the tiny computer, he typed for a moment and held it up for all to see.  
  
'BANSON'.  
  
"Yes, that *is* your name!" Suzee said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Good job!"  
  
Randy looked at her for a moment before turning his attention to the compupad again. "Yeah. Now add a 'S', a 'D', an apostrophe and a space (not necessarily in that order) and.." He held up the computer again.  
  
The entire crew gaped at the findings.  
  
'BAND'S SON.'  
  
Lex smiled shyly at Harlan. "I thought Bandaughter was too obvious," she said quietly.  
  
Harlan sat down very suddenly, muttering, "Holy shit."  
  
"Wait." Bova said slowly. "Harlan's your father? But then that means--"  
  
"Harlan PROCREATES?" Suzee demanded, eyes wide and horrified.  
  
Randy regarded her for a moment then shook his head. "You aren't nearly this annoying at home," he remarked.  
  
Before Suzee could counter that, Radu had spoken. "But. you said your mother was a politician."  
  
Randy nodded. "She is, that part's true."  
  
"She isn't governor of Saudi Arabia," Goddard commented.  
  
Lex laughed then. "He said Saudi Arabia?" she asked, grinning. "Oh, Randy, at least I made her a Rigelian!"  
  
Randy frowned. "Well, I was put on the spot. What did you say?"  
  
"Jupiter."  
  
Her brother rolled his eyes. "Oh, like that's any better. My spelling was closer."  
  
"Oh, well *good job* then," Lex muttered sarcastically.  
  
"W-wait." All eyes turned to Harlan, still sitting on the floor. "I. I have kids?"  
  
"And get married," Randy said, grinning and obviously enjoying Harlan's actions. "You also live on a really important military base (that I *won't* tell you about) and named your first-born after two important people in your life."  
  
"My. first-born?" Harlan still seemed to have problems processing what the boy was saying. "I. how many kids do I have?"  
  
"Well, since Mom's pregnant again," Lex began with a wicked glance at Harlan's reaction, "I guess you have three."  
  
"Unless she has twins or something," Randy added with a smile.  
  
"Twins." Harlan's face was considerably pale for his complexion.  
  
"You said he named his kid after two important people in his life," Bova pointed out. "Who?"  
  
Randy smiled. "His father and his best friend."  
  
Harlan looked up at the boy again. "No, I didn't."  
  
Randy grinned. "No?"  
  
"No," Harlan repeated, glaring slightly. "The name 'Randy' has nothing to do with Ellison or the name of my best friend."  
  
"Oh really?" Randy seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the dialogue. "And who *is* your best friend?"  
  
"That's the point," Harlan argued. "I don't *have* one."  
  
"But you do later," Lex put in.  
  
Harlan frowned. "So, what are you saying? I have a best friend named Randy, so I named my son Randy Ellison Band?"  
  
Randy's grin grew. "Not exactly. Randy's a nickname so we wouldn't get confused." He paused, as if considering how to word his next announcement.  
  
Harlan frowned. "Look, are you going to tell me or not? What's your full name?"  
  
"My full name?" Smiling, Randy swept into a mock-bow. "My full name is *Radu* Ellison Band."  
  
"W-what.?" Harlan's complexion almost matched that of the Andromedan in question, who's jaw had dropped in shock. "I. wait, I. huh?"  
  
"Believe it," Randy told him, fighting laughter.  
  
"It's kind of funny," Lex told them with a little smile of her own. "You're such good friends where we come from, it was weird to see you keeping your distance now."  
  
"Harlan's my. my best friend?" Radu repeated quietly, disbelieving.  
  
Randy nodded. "Oh, yeah. And you've *been* best friends since before I was born."  
  
"Before *Seamus* was born," Lex added, smiling.  
  
There was silence for a moment before Ms. Davenport said, "Who is Seamus?"  
  
Randy groaned. "Lex!"  
  
"That one was an accident!" the girl cried.  
  
"Wait, wait, wait," Harlan was saying, waving a hand around as if to calm everyone. "If you're my son," he pointed to Randy, "who's named after my best friend, who is you," he pointed to Radu, "and you're my daughter," he pointed to Lex, " then who the *hell* is my wife?"  
  
Randy grinned wider than anyone had seen him do so far. Turning to his sister, he held out a hand. "Would you like to do the first honors?"  
  
Lex sighed. "You're such a drama queen sometimes." She looked around the room for a moment then, very tentatively, said, "Thelma?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
While the rest of the crew jumped as the android appeared behind Lex, the girl merely smiled as she turned. "Hi!"  
  
Thelma cocked her head and smiled brightly. "Hello!"  
  
"Thelma, can I-may I-let me borrow a flashlight."  
  
"Certainly," the android replied, holding out her hand. A gear on her finger whirred and clicked into place.  
  
Smiling, Lex took Thelma by the wrist, clicked on the make-shift flashlight-finger and held it above her head. All at once, the girl's fat dredlocks were illuminated by a bright light.  
  
"Ohhhh," Bova said quietly.  
  
Lex's hair was not black, as they had all thought, but a very rich, very dark, purple.  
  
"Wait a second," Harlan said suddenly, finally finding the strength to stand from the floor. "That doesn't tell me anything! She could have dyed her hair!"  
  
Randy smiled. "That's why she was just the first step. Lex, tell them what your full name is."  
  
Instead of fixing her gaze to Harlan as she had before, Lex stared pointedly at Suzee. "Alexis Leonor Band."  
  
Suzee stiffened in surprise. Harlan, noticing, glared at Randy. "Okay, now I *know* Suzee isn't the mother of *my* kids!"  
  
"You're right, I'm not," Suzee replied, an awed look on her face. She turned to the human. "Harlan. Leonor was. it was Cat's mother's name. And. Cat always told me how much she liked the name 'Alexis'."  
  
"It was. she.."  
  
Randy smiled at the crew. "Governor Catalina Band of Saturn," he said quietly. "Her husband, Admiral Harlan Band of the UPP, and her kids. Alexis Leonor Band and--" Very dramatically, he swept the cap from his head, revealing his very blue hair.  
  
Blue. And red. And purple. And green. And yellow. And orange.  
  
"Radu Ellison Band." 


	4. Here

Title:: Just  
  
Author:: Lokaia  
  
Summary, Rating, Disclaimer:: See Chapter 1  
  
--  
  
"I can think of very few things more unsettling than this," Ms. Davenport said quietly, looking quite pale.  
  
"I can," Bova replied.  
  
"Enlighten me," Randy demanded of him. The boy was leaning heavily against the helm, looking up every once in a while to glare at his sister.  
  
Lex glared back. "Look, you're the one who had to be dramatic about it--"  
  
"They never would have found out if you hadn't brought up Dad," her brother growled.  
  
"Oh, well, *excuse me* for trying to get him back," she replied, eyes narrowing in anger.  
  
"I *won't* excuse you for nearly destroying our existence!" Randy snapped.  
  
"We're still here, aren't we?"  
  
"Yeah, now for how long?"  
  
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Harlan had gotten up from the floor, still pale but now thoroughly annoyed. "Jeez, do you two *ever* stop fighting?"  
  
Randy and Lex had froze, staring at him. Randy began to laugh. "If there was ever a doubt who you were, Harlan Band.."  
  
"Yeah, I'm really amazing and dad-like," the human grumbled. "What I want to know is, how did you get here in the first place?"  
  
"We already told you-it would be a paradox to say," Lex said.  
  
"According to you, you've already caused a paradox," Goddard reminded her.  
  
Randy shook his head, straightening and pushing away from the helm. "No, if we'd caused a paradox, Lex and I wouldn't be here."  
  
"What do you mean?" Rosie asked.  
  
Randy sighed. "It's like the Grandfather-Paradox, you know?" Blank faces surrounded him and he sighed. "The theory is, if you go back in time and kill your grandfather, then your grandfather wouldn't be around to meet your grandmother, have your parents, and have you. So you wouldn't exist to go back in time and kill him in the first place, you know?"  
  
Harlan looked at him blankly. "Did you get any of that?" he asked Radu quietly.  
  
"What's a grandfather?"  
  
"So what you're saying," Bova began, "is that a paradox is basically impossible to achieve, because if you ever did it, you wouldn't exist to do it in the first place." He nodded. "Makes sense."  
  
"But if a paradox is impossible, then what are you worried about?" Goddard wondered.  
  
"We're worried that the *theory* of an impossible paradox isn't true, and that a paradox actually *can* happen," Randy replied. "I don't know about you guys, but when we started out, I didn't want to tempt fate."  
  
"Then why did you board the Christa at all?" Ms. Davenport asked. "Surely our future selves would have told you about her."  
  
Lex smiled. "You didn't have to. We grew up on the Christa."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Lexi!"  
  
The girl winced. "I'm sorry! Um.. to answer your question, the ship *was* damaged. And.. well.. I figured we *did* need the help.."  
  
"So, you were the one who answered our message?" Goddard asked.  
  
"Er, no, that was me," Randy said sheepishly. "Lex is, ah.. convincing." He cleared his throat. "So was the seventy-five percent damage on our ship."  
  
"Speaking of which," Suzee began, "you only went through a white circle. There's no reason for all the damage that was done to your ship."  
  
Lex turned to her brother slowly, glaring at him. Randy cleared his throat, his face darkening in a blush. "Er.. well.."  
  
"Let's just say piloting doesn't exactly run in the family," Lex commented darkly.  
  
Harlan laughed out loud, receiving a glare from Randy. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," the boy grumbled. "*You're* the one who taught me. What does that say about your teaching skills?"  
  
"That still doesn't make any sense," Suzee said before Harlan could reply. "A white circle pulls you forward. You don't have to fly at all."  
  
"Exactly," Lex said, still glaring at her brother. "So if you *did* try to pilot while a white circle has you.."  
  
Suzee made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a groan.  
  
Randy rolled his eyes. "Oh, like none of you have ever messed up.."  
  
"But still," Davenport spoke up. "Whether you wanted to see a younger version of your father, or your ship was damaged, there were many more precautions you could have taken to avoid being caught."  
  
"Well," Lex began, thoroughly ignoring the gaze of her brother. "I.. er.."  
  
Randy sighed. "She *wanted* to get caught."  
  
"You *wanted* to?" Bova repeated incredulously. "Why?"  
  
Lex studied her shoes. "You don't understand.. I just.. I.."  
  
"Lex?" Rosie's tone was quiet and kind. "How long has your dad been missing?"  
  
Lex looked up sharply, her gaze softening as she looked at the Mercurian. "Six months," she whispered. Rosie came up beside her, putting a comforting arm around the girl's shoulders.  
  
"So when you say Lex is 'persuasive'.." Suzee began.  
  
"I mean 'good at guilting people'," Randy said smiling without humor. "The offer was.. tempting."  
  
"Randy." The boy turned to meet Harlan's blank gaze. "Exactly where *am*.. er, *is* my future self?"  
  
Randy's next smile was sad. "That's the thing. We have no idea."  
  
Harlan's brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought you said that I-er, *future* me was on a mission for.. for whatever."  
  
"You are," Lex put in. "But.. you stopped calling. And you didn't show up at the right place when you were supposed to. And.." She stopped and focused on the floor again. "And every time someone tries to contact the ship.. it's a dead signal."  
  
Harlan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You think I'm dead."  
  
"Maybe," Randy replied. "We don't know. But.. it's a good guess."  
  
"It's almost kind of lucky that you ended up here!" Rosie said cheerfully, still trying to comfort Lex. "I mean, your father's missing and you end up seeing a younger version of him! Isn't that nice?"  
  
Randy and Lex's glance could not have lasted more than a split second, and a fraction of that split second was spent looking guilty.  
  
There was a pause as the Christa's crew contemplated the meaning of such a glance.  
  
Goddard was the first to speak. "It's not an accident that you ended up here, is it?" he asked quietly.  
  
Randy shook his head. "Oh, it's *definitely* an accident that we're here. It's just.. not an accident that we're *here*."  
  
Bova raised an eyebrow. "You could at least *try* to make that make sense."  
  
Lex chewed on a fingernail nervously. "Well.. we didn't exactly.. we didn't go through a random white circle. Exactly."  
  
A collective chill went up the crew's spines. "What does that mean?" Suzee demanded. "You can generate white circles?"  
  
"No," Randy answered calmly. "*You* can."  
  
"You're saying Suzee's figured out how to generate white circles," Harlan said, tone laced with disbelief, "but she *still* hasn't figured out a way to get back to Yensid?"  
  
Lex rolled her eyes. "Of course she has! How do you think Mom got back?"  
  
"But.. how could Suzee be around to generate white circles if she's on Yensid?" Radu wondered.  
  
"Well, we didn't say she *stayed* on Yensid," Randy informed him. He turned to Suzee with a smile. "Ironically, you wouldn't have come back if Dad hadn't been missing."  
  
Suzee, who had surprisingly been stunned speechless, regained her composure. "Why not?"  
  
"No reason for you to," Randy told her. "But after Dad left.. you wanted to be around. For comfort and everything."  
  
Suzee rolled her eyes. "I don't need to be in the same dimension as Catalina to comfort her."  
  
"Not Mom," Lex told her. "Leeam."  
  
"Who's Leeam?" the Yensidian asked, annoyed by the massive amount of new information that had been constantly coming her way.  
  
"Who's Leeam?" Randy repeated with a smile. "He's your son."  
  
Suzee was quite sure the room wasn't supposed to spin that way. "W- what do you mean, 'my son'?"  
  
"Well, when two people love each other very much.."  
  
"Or, in your case, have been arguing for a long time but claim to love each other very much.."  
  
"Suzee gets MARRIED?" Harlan demanded, shocked.  
  
Suzee glared daggers at the human. "Yensidians don't *get* married," she snapped. "You're just *together*."  
  
Lex nodded. "Right. You and T-"  
  
Randy clapped a hand over her mother. "Uh-uh. She can't know about the one's she has control over."  
  
"Well, she doesn't really have control over how they meet, does she?" Lex asked, pushing Randy's hand away and smiling. Randy chuckled in response.  
  
"This isn't funny," Suzee informed them. "This is my *life* we're talking about here, and according to your fun and eventful theory, you can't create a paradox. So what's his name?"  
  
Both Randy and Lex stayed silent. Suzee had an intense urge to pitch her consciousness and use their experiences as blackmail, but stayed firm. "All right. Fine. So what does 'Leeam' have to do with why I came back to your dimension?"  
  
"You came for him," Lex explained. "You don't have a link with him like you do with Mom."  
  
"But why wasn't I there to begin with?" the Yensidian demanded impatiently.  
  
"Because he doesn't live with you," Randy answered. "He lives with us. You and T-your.. partner travel around uncharted space for a living. You didn't think it would be safe for him, so Leeam lives with us."  
  
Suzee frowned uncomfortably. "I don't even live with him?"  
  
"Oh, he understands," Lex said quickly. "He isn't bitter or anything. Actually, he wants to be an engineer, too. I mean, he still loves you and his dad. And you visit him whenever you can."  
  
"But this still doesn't explain why you're here," Goddard reminded them. He felt remorse for cutting off Suzee's conversation with the two, but they had other things to worry about right now.  
  
Both Lex and Randy's already-dark complexions grew darker as they blushed. Lex studied her shoes as Randy refused to meet anyone's eyes. "W- well," the boy began, "see, what we were supposed to do was find Dad.. and Suzee had a theory that she could use Lex's DNA, and mine, as a sort of.. focus. For generating a circle. Theoretically, it was supposed to take us right to him." He smiled sheepishly at Harlan. "And, well.. it did."  
  
"Just not the way you had hoped," Davenport reminded him.  
  
"Er.. right." 


End file.
